Affections
by EmilyHelene
Summary: An obscure cut leads Annabeth to the serene environment of the Dreamlands, a playground for the subconscious. With the Olympians longing to resort to something she would never want, Percy and Eden set out to save her. But, what if they can't? R&R, please.
1. The End of The Beginning

Affections

a Percy Jackson and the Olympians story

By Emily Helene

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{Affections}

**Chapter One: The ****End**** of The ****Beginning**

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"Annabeth!" Percy called, breathlessly. Her head whipped around, splaying her hair across her back. Her camp necklace shook and the beads hit each other.

"What do you want, Seaweed Brain?" She asked. She couldn't believe she still called him that.

"I need to talk to you." His hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead.

She rolled her eyes. "I could have figured that out myself, you know." He stared at her dumbly.

"Yeah. Okay. Sorry," he said. "But I really need to talk to you." His voice grew quiet. "Its about Rachel."

She tensed. If there was anything that made her cringe it was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Not that she wasn't nice, because she was. Percy and Grover seemed to like her well enough. It was more of a personal thing between them. Okay, maybe it was just her. She found herself feeling jealous of her. Rachel got to spend time with Percy in the mortal world while Annabeth was stuck at Camp Half-Blood or living with her dad and step-mom in San Francisco. She didn't even know why it bugged her so much, but it _did_.

Her voice grew sour. "What about her?"

"Well, um."

"Out with it, Seaweed Brain."

"When Beckendorf and I were on our way to, um, the Princess Andromeda." Percy cleared his throat. Clearly, something was up.

"What could it be? We were best friends, right? She sighed. If it had to do with _her _she didn't like her chances.

"Seaweed Brain." She said, feeling impatient. Then I got an idea. She unsheathed her dagger and ushered him to uncap Riptide. "Tell me while we fight."

"Okay?" He agreed somewhat reluctantly. They took their stances and the fight began.

"Just tell me, Percy." She slashed at him with her knife, nicking his camp shirt sleeve. Annabeth didn't know what his issue was, but clearly it was big if he couldn't tell her. She didn't bother apologizing.

"So before Beckendorf showed up Rachel and I were kind of driving." He tried to knock the knife out of her hand but she was too quick for him. He slashed at her, cutting her arm. She felt the warm liquid trickling slowly down my arm but didn't dare stop fighting.

"With Rachel?" She squeaked, trying to hide her obvious surprise. Luckily, he misunderstood her tone and thought nothing of it. The thrusts and jabs became more deliberate.

He nodded and backed up to avoid her latest offensive maneuver. She followed and before they knew it, they neared the edge of the forest. As they passed through a grove of trees, Percy accidentally slashed off a tree branch. He apologized quickly to the nymph who didn't appear amused. That made two of them.

"Get on with it." She urged, feeling the sweat forming on her brow. Quickly, she wiped it off on her sleeve. He continued.

"Well, as we were leaving, um she kind of..." He paused. "Kissed me?"

He took her surprise as an opportunity to disarm her. Her blade clattered to the ground, face molding into a slight frown. One that went unnoticed by Percy.

"Sorry."

"About what?" She asked lightly, dusting of the hilt of her blade. "Disarming me or kissing Dare?"

"Disarming you?" He wondered. "I don't even know why it happened, me kissing Rachel. I don't even know why it's that important."

"It's whatever. Never mind." She said. Sometimes it really seemed as though Percy's head was filled with kelp.

"Again?" he asked. She picked up her fallen weapon, smirking.

"You're on!" To prove her point, she mimed cutting her neck with the dagger. "You're going down." Her moves became more aggressive and more accurate. I remembered that he had mentioned something to her the last time they had fought. He had said that she became a more aggressive fighter when provoked. She guessed he was right, because instead of getting beaten by Seaweed Brain, she whapped him a few times in the ribs.

He admitted defeat early. "Alright you win!" She smiled, satisfied. When it came to Seaweed Brain, she never got tired of hearing that.

"Want to hang out later?" he asked. She contemplated it for a moment but then thought about the overly large pile of blueprints that had been copied from her laptop. She hoped Chiron didn't get angry about the amount of ink she had used. Or the amount of scrolls, come to think of it. She politely declined.

"Sorry, I'm working on some more on Daedalus's laptop. There are these blueprints for some amazing inventions..." She trailed off, but was too immersed in her own conversation to watch as Percy's eyes glazed over. Why did that always happen when she started talking about architecture?

"Um, yeah." He backed up slowly. "See you around."

"Bye."

With that I hurried over to Cabin six.

In hindsight, she had to say that rejecting Percy's offer to hang out wasn't one of her better ideas. But just finding out about the lip lock with Rachel, she wasn't acting entirely like herself.

She didn't even know why it bothered her that much. Percy and her were friends. She was just Annabeth. And she could still kick his butt at everything logical. She swore on the River Styx that that boy didn't have a logical bone in his entire body.

_"Still, Annabeth. He kissed Dare. Why would he do something like that?" _She thought._  
_

Her mind was flooded with thoughts and unfortunately there was no off switch. If she hurried, she might have time to pour over the the latest Daedalus blueprints before Athena cabin readied itself for capture the flag.

She thought of Percy sitting alone in cabin three. Tyson was off in the undersea forges of Poseidon preparing weapons for battle and she knew that Percy missed him. In a way, she was lucky. Always surrounded by her many siblings. She always had someone to turn to when she needed it. Percy didn't really have anyone except for herself and Grover, who seemed to be spending a lot of time with Juniper. And Rachel, too if she even counted.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and sighed heavily. She pulled out her laptop and powered it up, the symbol of Daedalus flashing across the screen briefly.

_"Annabeth."_ Whispered a voice. She glanced around the cabin but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. _"Annabeth."_ There it was again, slightly louder. She sat up straight, positive that someone was calling for her. Maybe one of the Stolls. They loved pranking cabin six. Well, they loved pranking everyone, really. Cabin six was always a challenge for them and they loved it.

"Not funny, you guys." She called out before turning back to the high tech three dimensional image on her computer screen.

She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was trying to contact her, though. It probably wasn't that important, though. But what if it was? She never stopped to think about that. Maybe, if she had, things would have turned out differently.

A few minutes later her half sister, Adelle burst through the door with a smile on her face. "Annabeth!"

She looked up, sighing with relief when she saw that it was Adelle and not the mysterious voice from before. "Hey, what's up?"

"Capture the flag, remember?"

"Be right there." She said, closing out her document. "Just shutting down."

"Okay. Hurry, though. Aidan wants to talk strategy in the mess hall."

She nodded, tossed her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her Yankees cap before following Adelle out the door.

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Chapters 1 and 2 are newly revised! If I do say so myself, they are _waaaaay _better than before. Tell me what you think by pressing that fantastic little button that says "Review this Story"! Thanks, guys.


	2. Extreme Illogicality

{Affections}

**Chapter Two: Extreme Illogicality**

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"Are we sticking with the old strategy or switching it up a little bit?" Adelle asked as they neared the Pavilion. Annabeth thought for a moment, mentally listing the pros and cons of the old plan.

"Well, the previous plan requires a distraction which we don't have." Annabeth began. "Wait. Who do we have on our team?"

"Last I heard it was Hermes, Percy, Demeter, Athena and Apollo against Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus and Dionysus's twins." Annabeth nodded, factoring the new information in.

"New strategy. I actually have the plans with me." She reached for her sheathed dagger on her upper arm. Instead of the familiar leather scabbard, her palm touched flesh. "I think I left it in the cabin with my knife." She looked sheepish. "I'll be right back."

Turning on her heel, Annabeth walked back to cabin six feeling like a complete idiot. Maybe what Percy had said really _was _getting to her. She shook her head.

When she reached the U, she noticed that Percy sat alone on the porch of Poseidon's cabin holding Riptide. Quickly averting her eyes she climbed the steps to her own cabin hastily.

"Anyone still in here?" She called, opening the door of the Athena cabin. She hoped it was empty. It was bad enough she had gotten all the way to the mess hall and realized she had left her dagger in the cabin. Just as she had suspected, the lights were off; the cabin deserted. The only sound she could hear was the echo of her own voice.

She walked over to her bed and pulled her suitcase from beneath it. Searching through the piles of drafting paper was never easy. Beside her bed sat an oil lamp, dancing and giving off a faint orange glow. That light was the one she used for reading, and as a rule was never left on. Since her mother was the goddess of wisdom and logic, it was strange that it would be left on. Leaving a flame unattended in a box of wood was hardly logical.

As quickly as she could, she blew out the flame. Darkness devoured the room as she realized that there was nothing else to light the space with. She fished the pocket flashlight out of her nightstand drawer.

But instead of feeling the plastic handle against the smooth palm of her hand, her fingers closed around something with a deadly edge. The sting of the cut her dagger brought was unlike any pain Annabeth had ever felt before. And that was saying something. It felt like her brain was expanding, the close confinements of her skull becoming too small. Her thoughts stopped and for a second and an image of Luke flooded her mind. Just Luke. She shook her head and the picture and pain disappeared. Just like the pictures on Matthew and Bobby's EtchASketches.

She checked out her wound by the light of the LED flashlight. It wasn't so bad. A two-inch gash in the center of her right palm was tolerable. Even though it would make archery practice a bitch. A voice inside her head reminded her that this was indeed her own fault. Athena's influence on her had the definite strength of the gods. Then another voice appeared in her head. _This too shall pass. _The old saying her father had told her at the doctor's clinic when she was small. Before she had run away. She had gotten a spider bite.

Annabeth had always told her father that spiders were awful, but he hadn't believed her then and to this day he still didn't. Fredrick had said it was a phase. He was just surprised that she had let one close enough to her to risk getting bitten. She smiled at the memory.

Still gripping the flashlight, she headed over to the Apollo cabin for a bandage and supplies to treat the wound. They were bound to have something. Usually she would just treat the wound herself or wipe the blood on her cut-offs and get on with the day, but there was something about the irregularities of this one that made her second-guess the usual routine.

"Hey, Silena," she called as she passed the beautiful girl on her way across the U of cabins. She looked up and managed a somber smile. They hadn't seen her truly happy since the day Beckendorf had been killed aboard the Princess Andromeda. Seeing her alone made her want to win the battle even more. If not for her own sake or the camp's or even Percy's, then for Silena and Beckendorf. They deserved at least that.

The thought of anything like that happening to Percy made her stomach turn. She didn't know what she would do if anything happened to him. No one was allowed to harm Percy. Except maybe her, that was alright.

"Hi, Annabeth," Silena murmured. Annabeth sent her a look of empathy. Silena wasn't one who liked to wallow in her own miseries. And she especially despised being pitied.

She left our conversation at that. Any mention of Beckendorf or the Princess Andromeda would just send her into another endless whirlwind of pain she didn't need.

A few moments later, she reached the Apollo cabin. Rhythm Galloway sat outside playing a lyre, which had been a gift to her from her father. Both of them had the same dark hair and soft eyes. Though it was hard to believe that the Sun God, who looked like a college student, was a father.

A gentle yet precise melody drifted through the air as Rhythm's nimble fingers plucked the strings swiftly. The song was sad, but it offered hope. Something that Camp Half-Blood needed most.

"Rhythm." She asked, bending down next to her.

She looked up but continued to play, plucking out the final few notes of the song with closed eyes.

"Hey, Annabeth." She set her lyre aside and turned towards her. "What can I do for you?"

She stuck out her palm. It was coated in blood. She reached into her back pocket and produced a small piece of material. Using it as a cloth, she wiped the fresh blood off Annabeth's cut. She took the other girls hand in her own and analyzed the wound.

"What did you do?" She asked, not waiting for my explanation.

"I picked up my dagger by the blade when I was searching for my flashlight in the dark," Annabeth admitted. If Rhythm was surprised, she didn't show it. She was grateful.

She tsked, but ushered the injured girl inside inside.

In all her years at Camp, Annabeth had been inside the Apollo cabin a total of twice. Once when she was younger and they were discussing battle strategy for capture the flag and once for cabin checks. It was Malcolm who usually did that cabin check. She stood off to the side jotting stuff down on the clip board.

The Apollo kids' bunks shone and appeared to be made out of rays of the purest sunlight. The sheets were the deepest shade of scarlet she had ever seen. She had to avert her eyes at first because the bunks radiated a vivid but harsh light. It certainly hadn't looked like this for cabin checks.

A soft chuckle came from in front of her, as if reading her mind.

"The light brightens and fades depending on what time of day it is." Damen Blythe mentioned. "You get used to it, Annabeth!" He called. He was sitting on top of one of the bunks, treating a wound of his own.

"Thanks for the tip, Damen." She replied. He laughed.

Her eyes wandered to the walls which contrasted with the brightness of the furniture. They were white and covered with quotes from famous philosophers, doctors and musicians. As she was reading them one in particular stood out. Though she wasn't 100% sure why because she had never seen it before. She read it again and had it memorized.

"Disease is cured by the body itself, not by doctors or remedies," she read.

"John Harvey Kellogg. M.D." Rhythm finished. "Son of Apollo."

"I figured as much."

The two girls laughed as Rhythm led her over to a white chair. Overhead was a shelf stocked with every useful type of medical treatment. All of the remedies were organic and they had the seal of Apollo. It made them official and trustworthy. Apollo didn't mess around when it came to medicine.

"Have a seat." She sat herself down in the comfy chair and set her hand across the daughter of Apollo's lap.

"I still don't know how you managed this, Annabeth." She sighed. "It's not like you."

"Ugh!" She groaned. "I'm not acting like myself lately."

She reached for a bottle of antiseptic. She looked at Rhythm, incredulously.

"Antiseptic? I cut it on my knife. It wasn't rabid, I promise."

"Just making sure." She dabbed it on the cut before dousing it in peroxide. It fizzled a bit and stung like crazy.

"Ow." She clenched her hand into a fist. "Stings."

"You're getting impatient, Annabeth." She bit her tongue to stop a sarcastic comment in its tracks. It wasn't Rhythm's fault that she had cut herself.

She reached for a needle and celestial bronze thread (the best kind for demigods) and she shut her eyes tightly. It didn't take a daughter of Athena to figure that one out. Although it probably helped her to figure it out faster.

"Bite your lip, Annabeth." Rhythm instructed. She did as told, her teeth bit down hard on the soft flesh of her bottom lip. She felt each stitch, but they weren't at all painful. After Percy arrived at Camp, she became _better versed_ in dealing with pain. She'd held up the sky for Gods' sakes!

"I usually wouldn't stitch it closed but it's too big to just fashion a bandage around it. It will get dirty and most likely open up again if I don't make absolutely certain that it's closed." She looked at her hand, In place of the two-inch gash was a cut half the size, and it seemed rounder than before. That was weird, even by their standards. "Huh. That's new. I wouldn't worry about it though."

"You're the expert, right?" She opened her eyes for the rest of the stitches. In total, there were six. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Using a pair of tiny celestial bronze scissors, she cut the slack and tied it. "I'm not sure. But it looks good as new. You'll be fine. Maybe I was subconsciously healing it?"

She shrugged and rubbed her hand.

"Thanks, Rhythm." Annabeth smiled, running a finger over the stitches."I owe you one."

She headed back out of the cabin, waving to Damen, who was now playing Xbox with Chris Rodriguez and the others. Rhythm was probably right. She had probably healed it by accident.

She checked her watch. 5:50. Soon it would be time for supper and announcements followed by capture the flag.

"You've got time, Annabeth." She reminded herself. She still had ten minutes until supper so she headed down to Fireworks Beach to pass the time. It was pretty empty with only one or two people around at all. She liked to go there to just chill out, especially when it was as serene it was. Even if it wasn't better than the library, at least it was calming. She could sit by the sea for hours as long as she had a couple of good books and was far enough away from the shore.

Inside her head, two voices sought to be heard. She clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to silence them. She figured it was her human half arguing with her godly half and though nothing of it after it had stopped. She didn't want to think about anything, she wanted a clear mind. Even though she desired it often, rarely did she get what she wanted. This time was no exception.

As she strolled along the shoreline, she realized that she wasn't as alone as she had thought. There was a figure standing out in the water holding up a sword and lashing at the waves.

_What a freak,_ she thought.

"What are you doing here?" She called. Percy looked up and waved.

"What are _you _doing here, Wise Girl?" he called, coming closer to shore.

_Figures._

"You're a freak, you know that."

But he pretended not to hear her comment. He swam inland with the grace of a dolphin. The water pushed him forward as though it were a living, breathing part of the world.

"I'm aware of that," he shook his head. "Back to my question. What are you doing here?"

"I didn't realize Fireworks Beach was off limits. I'm just cogitating."

"What?"

"I said, I'm cogitating."

"No. I heard you. I don't know what cogitating means."

"Oh." She blushed, even though Percy was the one acting stupid. "It means thinking."

"Oh." He dropped his gaze from my face. She pulled her arm behind her back in an attempt to hide the set of glittering stitches in her palm.

He noticed and grabbed my hand. "What happened?"

She pulled it back and shoved it into the pocket of her cut-offs as if it were nothing.

"I cut myself by accident. It's not a big deal. It's time for supper."

With that, she walked away.

"Annabeth!" he called. The sound of his bare feet hitting the sand alerted her that she was being chased. Her pace didn't lessen. "Wait up. What's wrong with your hand?"

"Nothing." She growled, voice harsh. It reminded her slightly of the powerful tone her mother used when she barked orders at an army. It had scared the daylights out of Annabeth. She supposed that that was what you got when you Iris-Messaged Athena at the wrong time.

All through dinner, she couldn't stop thinking about her mom. She had hacked off an extra large piece of hamburger for her as an offering and her mind wouldn't let the idea that she was trying to contact her die.

That wasn't all that happened at dinner either. A new camper arrived that day. Her name was Eden Crest and until further notice, she was undetermined. Something about the way she looked at her from the center of the room seemed oddly familiar. She had a feeling it went much further back than just her lifetime.

Percy spent his whole supper time trying to get her attention. He would lift the water out of her glass or just stare at her from across the pavillion. It wasn't like Annabeth had never gotten a cut before. She had gotten several actually, many much larger and from Riptide!

She shook her head.

_"Annabeth!" _The voice beckoned. _"Annabeth! You must listen!"_

Startled, Annabeth knocked her glass of water off the table. The cup fell to the paved floor of the mess hall and shattered into a million pieces. Embarrassed, she bent down to pick up the pieces, sweeping them into a pile with her good hand. Malcolm crouched down and offered to help but she waved him away. She stood up to toss the remains of her glass away and was overcome by dizziness. Her surroundings began to twist and bend until what was once the ground became the sky. She rubbed her eyes and pinched her arm, trying to get it to stop but it only made things worse. She felt the skin on her head shrink until it could no longer encase her skull. She felt blood pour out her ears and tried to scream, but her voice was gone. And then, just as abruptly as it had come, it was gone.

"Annabeth? Are you alright?" Malcolm asked looking at his sister uncertainly.

"I'm fine," she murmured, finally finding her voice. "Just fine."


	3. A Sleepless Dream

Affections

**Chapter Three: Sleepless Dreaming**

After dinner, she walked back to Percy's cabin with him to get his armor. A last minute practice would do both them both some good.

"So," he began, spinning the cap on Riptide around and around.

"What do you want to work on?" She asked, leading the way to the Poseidon cabin. Percy, who had fallen way behind her, had to jog to keep up.

"Whatever, really." He shrugged, still playing with his pen. Annabeth put her hand over his indignantly.

"Do you have an idea how trying on my patience that is?" She snapped.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Percy pocketed the pen as they approached his cabin.

While Percy went to find his armor, Annabeth sat down on the front steps and lay back. The wood of the porch was warm from the sun and she could feel it through her top. She closed her eyes and smiled as if she could sit there and wait forever.

She let her mind wander and found herself thinking of him. How he was never paying attention or how he always managed to screw things up. Or how he always looked at her with that sideways glance. Or how green his eyes actually were. But mostly just the second one. Maybe in another world, another universe where all hell wasn't moments from breaking loose. Maybe. She sighed as the sun slowly drifted behind a cloud. It was fun while it lasted.

She was yanked out of her daydream by the sound of metal clashing nearby. She turned to see Percy wearing his celestial bronze chest plate and helmet with the red plume sitting awkwardly on his head. She walked over to him and fixed it without thinking.

"You'd think you'd actually know how to put it on by now," she rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh.

"Not everyone is as smart as you," he pointed out as they headed in the direction of the arena.

"Maybe, but lots of people have common sense," she countered. "Or at least they should," she added.

"Ha ha, funny." Clearly, he didn't think it was very humorous.

"So you ready?" He asked. The two had long since arrived at the arena and Annabeth had just finished adjusting her breast plate and grabbed her dagger from it's sheath on her forearm.

They took their stances, Annabeth lunged and it began. Before long, Percy had her pinned to the ground, sword at her throat. He was smiling, obviously proud of himself. But more importantly, his guard was down. He went to ease off of her and stand but she yanked him to the ground.

Several campers had gathered around the pair, eager to see how it would play out. Some had money on Percy but most were rooting for Annabeth.

"Way to go, Perc!" A boy from cabin 11 shouted.

"Show him who's boss, Annabeth!" Clarisee, who she hadn't even known was there called out.

Visibly taken by surprise, Percy tried to get up but couldn't. She kicked the sword out of his hand and it went clattering off to the edge of the arena. She straddled his midsection and raised her blade over her head. Fear coursed through his body and he called out to her.

"Annabeth!" But she wasn't listening, her blade was nearing his heart and there was an unfamiliar gleam in her eyes that was not at all Annabeth. But there was nothing he could do.

_"Come, child,"_ the voice murmured, _"be safe._"

Slightly startled, her eyes closed tightly and when she opened them again, it seemed like the world had stopped spinning and everything was frozen. She was no longer in the midst of the action, but rather above it, like she was looking down on the scene instead of being involved in it.

There she was positioned over Percy in such a way that made it hard to look at. The look in her eyes was determination: she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. And evidently, what she wanted was for Percy Jackson to stop breathing. This wasn't her, not at all.

_"Do you see now?"_ The voice asked, growing louder. _"Do you see what deception there is in this world?"_

She tried to look away but the image would be forever ingrained in her memory. The image her her, murdering Percy.

_"It must be stopped. Θα πρέπει να σταματήσει." _

"What!" She shouted, desperate for answers, "What must be stopped?" Her pulse quickened and her vision blurred as the voice faded with a last haunting message: _"Μην παραλείψετε"_

_"Do not fail."_

She blinked and everything came back into focus. The blade, the voice, the cut. _Percy_. She sheathed her dagger as quickly as possible and rolled over onto her side.

"What the hell just happened?" she wanted to know. She looked around at all the faces surrounding them that had somehow vanished. The boy from cabin 11 was gone and so was Clarisse. But none of them seemed concerned. They certainly hadn't seen the same thing she had. The only person who showed any concern at all was Percy.

Finally, he spoke up, his voice shaky. "You really had me going there, wise girl. I thought that that was it."

She stared at her hand, then to the dagger and back again. Something strange was going on. "Are you sure you're alright?" She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me what you remember."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down. "I just remember you on top of me and your eyes."

"Yes, what about them?" She felt a faint blush creeping up to her cheeks. He noticed her eyes before she was about to kill him. Not exactly worth blushing over.

"They were," he looked deep in though, searching for the right word, "..intense. Like it wasn't you. It was probably nothing."

"Why?"

"Forget it." She said, shaking it off. "I could never kill you, seaweed brain. I hope you know that. But maiming on the other hand..." she trailed off, a small smile perched on her lips. Percy nodded and looked incredibly serious.

But the faint smile quickly faded as a river of razor blades sliced itself through her veins. She winced in pain, clutching her palm.

"Annabeth," Percy asked, a concerned look on his face, "are you actually alright?"

She hesitated, wanting to tell him about the voice, but not sure exactly how. "Fine. I just must have irritated it with the sparring is all."

He shook his head, clearly not buying it. But he didn't pry. "Whatever you say."

"I think that's enough for now." She said, picking up her knife and sliding it back into place on her arm. Percy laughed in agreement.

"Are you sure you don't need Rhythm to check it out again?"

She shot him a look. "What do you think, kelp head?" He raised his arms in defeat and backed away slowly.

"Smart move." She smiled through the pain, which for the moment had subsided. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you're alright? You just called me smart. Something must be seriously wrong."

"Please. That would imply that your head isn't full of kelp." She sighed.

"Maybe you should have her check it out again?" He suggested, changing the topic.

She shook her head. "Nah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure."

Annabeth glanced at him.

"Yep. You're sure."

"Good."

She sheathed her dagger and stuck it in the pocket of her jeans. Then she examined her hand for the umpteenth time.

"So what do you think of the new girl?" She asked. Annabeth had been dying to bring her up in conversation since supper but there hadn't been a lot of opportunities.

"She's cool. Pretty distant, though." He shrugged. "I have no idea who her mom is, if that's what you mean."

"Me either," she said. There were definite hints of frustration in her voice. "She's obviously not a child of Ares. She's too calm for that, but she could be Athena, though it's hard to imagine that I have _another_ sibling. She just doesn't fit, you know?"

He shook his head. "Not really, but it's hard to believe that you two could be half-sisters."

"And how would you know that? Have you even talked to her?"

"Yeah, like once."

"When?"

"Jeez, Annabeth. I didn't realize we were playing 20 Questions. I talked to the new girl. OMG!"

"Don't ever say OMG," she warned, "_ever. _You sound like Rayne." Rayne was a daughter of Aphrodite and also happened to be particularly fond of chat speak.

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Anyway," she said, "no matter how strange it seems, we shouldn't rule out the Athena idea completely just yet. I'm thinking it's kind of close."

"_I_ think you're over thinking it," he said.

She shook her head defiantly. "Am not." The two of them sat on the ground outside the arena, Percy carving his name into the dirt with Riptide the pen and Annabeth deep in thought,. She could have mulled over it all day if Percy hadn't have piped up.

"I just feel bad for her, you know?" He started, setting down his pen. He was lucky he couldn't ever lose it. If it weren't for that, it would have gone missing a long time ago. "She doesn't really seem to be getting along with the Hermes kids."

The two demigods looked on to see Connor and Travis Stoll attach a 'kick me' sign to Chiron's hindquarters and run away laughing like maniacs.

"Gee," Annabeth muttered, "I wonder why?" She couldn't believe the Stolls sometimes. They were so counterproductive. There was no way that Eden was a daughter of Hermes. Mentally, she crossed the god's name off of her list. "Do you think she's any good with a sword?"

"I've had one conversation with the kid!" Percy exclaimed. "We didn't exactly talk fighting styles. I asked her if she liked the food and she said yes! End of conversation."

"Well then, Mr. Conversation what do you suppose we do now?"

"Ask her if she wants to practice with us?" he tried.

"Very good!"

"You don't need the attitude you know, I know you think I'm stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid, Percy." She whispered, feeling guilty. She knew she came on pretty strong sometimes but it was just because Percy _wasn't _stupid. Although, he wasn't smart like Annabeth, he just knew sometimes. "Just sometimes you don't think."

"The difference?" He asked.

She looked at him. "Are you seriously trying to prove to me that you are stupid, because if you are I'm not going to stop you..." she trailed off, trying not to laugh.

"I do not have time for this." he muttered quietly under his breath. "Let's just go and get Eden."

"Do you have an idea where she is?" Annabeth asked.

"Not a clue."

"Fantastic."

"You want to know something Wise Girl?" Percy announced, staring at hid friend. She turned towards him expectantly.

"Hit me."

"If you weren't so infuriating, you might even be pretty." He grinned. So Seaweed Brain's head wasn't so full of kelp after all. She felt a faint blush creep up her neck.

"You aren't blushing, are you?" He teased, she glared at him, willing away the redness in her cheeks.

"No." She lied. "Just warm from practice."

He shrugged, not bothering to point out that they had practiced a while ago. "Whatever."

On their way over to the Hermes cabin, they ran into Nico DiAngelo. On his way Shadow traveling back from his dad's place in the Underworld about an hour earlier, he accidentally collided with her. She ran off and he spotted her again a little later.

"Last I saw her she was down by Thalia's tree Trying to find her dad or something. Word around camp is that her satyr, Honey shoved her over the property line but since her dad was mortal, he was killed by the monsters that were after her. She's wicked fast, at least that's what Honey said."

"I wonder what Josie would have to say about that." Percy wondered aloud. I laughed quietly, then winced. The pain was coming back again.

Josie McKnight was the fastest demigod at camp according to the Half-Blood Games. Think of a miniature Olympic games and you'll have the Half-Blood Games. It happens every four years at camp and currently, Josie held the title.

"Yeah. Anyway, I don't think she's quite faced the fact that her dad is really gone just yet. I offered to prove it to her but I think that only made things worse." He shook his head, sadly. Being the son of Hades couldn't be easy. Especially when he visited his dad regularly. There weren't a lot of people to hang out with. Well, living people anyway.

Percy said, "Thanks, Nico."

And off they went, heading to the property line in search of the mysterious Eden Crest, finding her exactly where Nico said she'd be. But with the combination of the thick trunk of the tree and the added coverage of the Fleece, they almost walked right by her

She was thin, lithe and sat with her back leaning against the massive trunk. Her eyes were a startling green, but red and blotchy, she had obviously been crying lately. Stick straight, dark brown hair cascaded halfway down her back. She didn't say anything when they approached, but stared out at the horizon, watching the sun set over the nearby highway.

"Hi." Annabeth offered her hand but the girl didn't shake it. "I'm Annabeth."

"Eden," she said, her voice monotone. Her voice became a quiet whisper as she murmured,"He always loved sunsets." Both Percy and Annabeth knew she was talking about her dad and out of respect, remained silent.

A few moments later, Percy voice sliced through the evening air. "Percy." He said. Annabeth laughed quietly to herself and saw Eden crack a small. But all too quickly, it faded.

"If you don't mind," Eden said, her voice bearing an unmistakable sadness, "I'd just like to be alone for a while."

"No worries," Percy said, he lay back on his arms, using his elbows to support the rest of his body. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the check mark that ran along the side of Eden's sneakers.

"Are those Nike Shox?" He exclaimed. Eden tore her gaze from the sunset and nodded.

"Best kind out there," she announced, retying the laces on her left shoe. "I wear them all the time."

"No. Way."

"What?" She urged. "What's the big deal with Nike Shocks or whatever?"

Both Percy and Eden gaped at her.

"What?" She demanded, their stares making her uncomfortable.

"They are like the best shoes known to man!" Percy proclaimed. I raised an eyebrow.

"Percy Jackson knows shoes? Maybe you're a son of Aphrodite after all."

"Well," Percy responded. "I'm pretty sure that the trident is the sign of Poseidon. But I could be mistaken."

She laughed. "Very funny, Seaweed Brain."

She turned to look at Eden but she had vanished.

She had left without a trace, not that she could be blamed really. Annabeth knew she could be pretty intense sometimes. Along the property line, a petite figure sprinted deliriously into the distance. As long as she didn't cross over onto the other side, she would be fine. Her feet moved like lightning, rocketing her into the distance.

Nico was right. She was fast.

* * *

She retired early and collapsed on the bunk in a sweaty heap. She had ended up sparring with Percy for about another hour before doing some work on Daedalas' laptop. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep on the key board of her computer. Needless to say, she was granted permission to sleep, not only from her fellow cabin members (who, thank the Gods, were quite content to leave her alone) but from herself. As one of the few with crucial knowledge about Kronos and the Titan army, a lot of her time was devoted to preparing Camp Half-Blood for the bloody war between the Titans and the Gods.

Though you would imagine that with the knowledge of this war centuries ago thanks to the Oracle's prophecy, the camp would have prepared itself long before now. Athena told all of her children that both humans and immortals are notorious for procrastination. Before Percy arrived and was quickly claimed by Poseidon, nobody had been given reason to worry much. Now however, it was a different story, seeing as Percy was a prime candidate for the role of "The One". With that and her own desire to complete several of Daedalus' projects, there was little time left for relaxing. Even when she tried to sleep, she never could. Annabeth was always afraid that the idea that would complete the job would come at a time where nothing could be done about it or that an extremely significant piece of war information would come up and she wouldn't be awake and prompt to help decipher it. As you can imagine, Annabeth didn't leave Camp much. Not that it was a good idea for most demigods _anyway_.

Hopefully, she could sleep off the pain in her hand. Percy had been urging her to get it checked out since it happened. She told him that there was no exigency for the Sun God himself to come and look at her hand. Of course, he had only asked what exigency meant and not bothered to change her mind. Percy Jackson knew better than to attempt the impossible.

Still, Percy seemed to think that there was something odd about the cut on her hand. She avoided the matter completely and shrugged it off whenever it came up in conversation. It was just a cut after all. She didn't saw her entire hand off or anything.

She lay on her bunk curled up in a ball, wearing an old camp shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, asleep. Her covers had been kicked off in her sleep, leaving her body exposed and freezing. At her bedside, her dagger lay sheathed but still easily accessible. After the incident she was not about to leave it out where someone (namely, herself) could get cut (again).

Subconsciously, she heard the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the comforting sound of her own breathing. Then dreamland came and all hell broke loose.

"ANNABETH!" It was Percy and he sounded scared, like something was about to happen to me that I was yet to become aware of.

"You must choose." The voice seemed to come at her from all angles, clouding her thoughts and trapping her in the moment. So much for logic. All noises had to have an exact location and usually, she could figure this information out. But this time she couldn't.

"Follow your heart." This voice, though she had heard it few times was immediately recognized. The voice was smooth and buttery, with a hard edge a cold as dark itself. It radiated power and was unmistakeably the voice of a great leader. It was the voice of Athena.

The strange thing was, she was telling her to follow her heart, the very thing she had said a short time ago was nearly useless. "Think with your head or not at all." That was the sort of usual supportive advice Athena gave. Although she was brilliant, giving advice to teenagers was not her strong suit.

Suddenly, the voices stopped and she was alone. Though they had been crowding her head, they had at least reminded her that no matter what, those that she loved would always be there.

Now, there was no one.

Then, she realized that her eyes had been tightly closed and that the muscles in her face were exhausted. Her eyelids fluttered open and she took in her surroundings. Instinctively, she turned to look at what lay behind her and found a door. It was labeled, but the writing was ancient Greek. Had the entire word been there, she wouldn't have had any issues with it. Unfortunately, the entire midsection of the word was blurred out by a cloud of matte gold smoke. She was able to make out the first couple of letters but that was it ; παρελ . Surely, she could have spent hours focusing on them and trying to figure out different word combinations, but if there is one thing to be learned about demigod dreams, it's that time is of the essence and everything is important.

She lifted her hand and closed it tightly around the ornate handle. When she tried to open it however, she couldn't. Determined to open this strange door, she pushed with all her might but it still did not budge. She turned away, knowing that whatever magic was keeping it shut was doing a very good job.

A few paces ahead of her there was another door and a few steps ahead of it was another. The wording on these other doors were also partially shaded out by the same gold smoke. The second door read only ρών and the third, μέλ.

Annabeth lifted her foot in preparation to step further into the dream when a gust of wind rushed by her. It sent her fumbling backwards and chilled her to the bone. Stubbornly, she walked forward again and was met with the same answer: no.

Defiantly, she stomped her foot. As frustrating as it was, she wasn't about to give up on it. That just wasn't her style.

The same harsh wind blew again, whispering something in ancient Greek as it slid gracefully by my ear.

_"Παιδί της Αθηνάς, μπορείτε να πάτε δεν περαιτέρω απόψε. Ξυπνήσει!"_

_"Why would someone want me to awaken?"_ she thought. _"And what did they mean by 'you may venture no further tonight,'?"_

But before she could even begin to figure out what it meant, she was being cradled by a brilliant silver light. And then she was falling, being swallowed up by the blinding flare.

She screamed, pulse vibrating so violently against her skull she wasn't sure how much more it could take.

Then, everything went dark.

* * *

She blinked slowly, the weight of her eyelashes all of a sudden too much for her eyelids. She turned her head slightly to find campers flocked all around her, eying her with great concern. Malcolm and Adelle stood among them, a few of the closest to the front. She could feel their eyes slicing through her as if they were needles and she were a pin cushion.

"Annabeth," Malcolm began softly. "What happened?"

Her throat felt hoarse and her words, half-hearted. If it weren't for all the new faces, she could have sworn she was still dreaming.

"I..." She scanned the faces of her half-siblings, searching for some clue, some idea as to what had happened to her. She came up with nothing. "I...don't know."

"What's going on?" A familiar voice asked. It began near the back of the group but slowly made it's way to the front as he pushed his was through. "Is she alright?" He looked down at her, taking in Annabeth's, wide eyes. Her hair lay spread out across the pillow like a raging storm.

"Shh, Percy. She's just woken up." Chiron soothed, "and yes, she's fine. Ask her yourself." She looked up and saw Percy compose himself, like someone had taken a weight off his shoulders. She hadn't even realized Chiron was in the cabin.

"Percy?" She asked.

He came closer to her and sat down on the edge of the bunk, careful not to bump his head on the one above.

"Yeah?" Came his reply. "Annabeth, what happened?"

"I would think it wise for you to give us a chance to discuss the recent events privately." Chiron announced. Though he hadn't said it to anyone specific, the members of the Athena cabin, save Annabeth, had taken the hint.

"Of course." Adelle nodded. "It only makes sense."

She heard the quiet shuffling of feet and the closing of a door as they left, one by one. Looking at Percy she , she felt the dizziness returning impetuously. Slowly, she began to say something, no matter how hoarse she felt. She couldn't remain silent. She had to say _something_.

But before she could make her mouth form the words, she fell backwards her will overthrown by a bought of dizziness. She felt like her whole body was spinning around in circles, one malignant loop after another. It was like a roller coaster she couldn't get off, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Annabeth? Are you alright?" It was Chiron's voice, but for some reason, her eyes could no longer settle on his habitual figure. All her thoughts seemed as though they had been brewed together. She couldn't think straight if her life depended on it, and something was telling her that it did. She felt lightheaded and a tingling sensation danced across her left palm.

"Annabeth." She felt a pair of strong arms grip her midsection, squeezing it tightly. She could feel her body being rocked back and forth rapidly. "Annabeth!"

She searched endlessly for his face, or some other sign of familiarity but all that she could see were his brilliant sea green irises and even they were slowly fading.

"Annabeth! Annabeth? ANNABETH!"

She tried to make her lips say, "Help me!" but all that came out was air.

She was trapped. And there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

"Annabeth." Percy's voice broke and he cradled his friend's body as if the moment he let go, she would cease to exist.

Chiron rested a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Perseus." Percy tore his eyes from Annabeth's face, surprised at Chiron for using his full name.

"I told her. I told her but she didn't listen."

"You told her what?" He asked kindly.

"I told her that the cut on her hand needed to be checked out. There was something about it that gave me an unusual feeling." He reached for her hand and peeled off the bandage quickly. Even though Annabeth was unconscious and couldn't feel a thing, he didn't want to hurt her.

Both of them looked down at Annabeth's wound.

"How..?" Chiron impelled. The bloody but clean inch and a half long cut was gone and in its place was a small incision in the shape of **Θ**. "Percy, do you have any drachmas on your person?"

Percy dug a hand deep into his pocket and pulled out Riptide and a single gold coin. Promptly, he handed the drachma to the centaur.

"Chiron," Percy began, "I don't understand. What is that sign? What does it mean?"

"Percy, the incision on Annabeth's hand, do you think that she might have inflicted this on herself?"

Percy looked up at his beloved teacher in disbelief. If Annabeth's wounds were self inflicted, Percy was a satyr.

"I had to ask. Anyway, the sign is Theta."

"Theta?" He asked. "What does it mean."

"Theta means death, Percy. I need to contact Olympus."

Percy understood immediately and channeled his energy on the Long Island Sound. The sound of waves thrashing wildly in a large body of water reached their ears.

"Percy!" Chiron barked. "Think logically."

He released his hold on the liquid and it settled back into place; where it belonged. Instead he focused on bringing a little bit of water into the Athena cabin. A pipe burst near the back of the cabin that supplied a steady stream of water.

"O goddess, accept my offering." Then Chiron tossed the coin into the mist.

"Mt. Olympus!" He requested.

Through the mist, Zeus appeared looking impatient in his pinstriped suit.

"Ah, Chiron." He said, sounding almost joyful before his kind tone melted away to impatience. "What do you want?"

"We have an emergency. I need to speak with Apollo. _Now!_"


	4. Her Options

Affections

**Chapter Four: Immortality or Bust  
**

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Zeus didn't hesitate or ask his half-brother any questions. He simply did as he was told and informed Apollo he was needed.

"That's just about all I can do, Chiron. I'm sorry." Zeus actually looked remorseful. This was quite rare for someone who had been involved in several romantic affarirs and never felt the slightest bit of regret. For someone like Zeus, remorse was huge.

"Thank-you, Lord Zeus." Chiron said before disconnecting. "Percy, please go wait outside."

Although he hated to leave his friend, Percy did as he was told, which considering who he was, was quite a feat.

He walked to the door where he found the Athena kids all huddled around the window trying to figure out what was going on with Annabeth.

"What are you doing?" Percy asked.

"Just because we aren't as er.._close_ as you two happen to be doesn't mean we don't care about her. She is our sister, after all." The blond haired boy Percy though was named Sean retorted.

"What is _close_ supposed to mean?" Percy demanded, though his emphasis on the word close was lacking because of his own genuine confusion.

"I think that everyone at Camp Half-Blood knows it but you and Annabeth, Seaweed Brain." Clarisse smirked, walking across the U of cabins until she was facing Percy on the Athena cabin front porch.

Percy flinched at the nickname. It was only alright when Annabeth called him that. Probably because he was used to it. But part of him had to wonder... was that _really why?_

"Know what?"

"That you-" But Clarisse was cut off by the sudden modification of the sky. What had once been a pinkish orange sunset, was now a blazing ball of yellow and orange light, streaking the sky indefinitely. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ARES WAS _THAT_?" She demanded, not finishing her other sentence.

In the distance, he could just make out the familiar cherry red Maserati, Apollo's favorite "look" for his sun chariot. The car flew at an unimaginable speed and began to descend over the Long Island Sound.

The car dipped and missed the mess hall by a couple of feet. It nearly crashed into cabin one which would have no doubt made Zeus one unhappy God. By the time it reached Euros Creek on the left side of the Lake, the tires began to skim the surface of the water. Unfortunately for the few demigods playing volleyball, their game had an abrupt and unusual ending. Not often are you forced to run for your lives from a volleyball court. A couple of Demeter and Aphrodite kids had been sitting around nearby, the Demeter kids trying to grow a tree to offer some more shade and the Aphrodite kids sitting around fixing up their hair and constantly checking out their reflections in little travel mirrors.

The Sun God turned his car off and sauntered out, raising his arm to expertly lock his chariot. Adrienne and Lila, two Aphrodite girls that had joined the group outside cabin six swooned at the sight of him which kind of grossed out a few of the Apollo kids. After all, that was their _father._

Damen walked through the throngs of campers to exchange props with his dad.

"Hey, dad."

"Day-men." Apollo smiled proudly. "My man! How goes it?"

"Well.." Damen started but Percy cut him off.

"I need your help." He said curtly.

"Whoa, Perc. No need to beat around the bush." He chuckled sarcastically.

"It's Annabeth."

"Ah, I remember her, curly blond hair, intriguing gray eyes. Pretty gal." Percy reddened. Who was Apollo to call Annabeth pretty. Not that she wasn't. Never mind.

"Yeah." Percy sighed. "Well, just so happens that that 'pretty gal' is lying in cabin six unconscious with no way to wake up."

Apollo's medical instincts kicked in.

"Sorry, Damen. Duty calls." He saluted his son before following Percy inside towards Annabeth.

He knelt down beside the bed and checked her pulse. "It's faint, but it's there. She's still breathing."

Relief flooded over Percy. She wasn't dead. But there was a possibility that she could be if she wasn't properly , he'd much rather _not_ think about that just then.

"Percy. It would be best if you left." Chiron proposed. He turned to the Sun God. "We should move her to the Big House. "

Percy nodded and left reluctantly.

He walked out of the cabin with his head hung low, his toes kicking at the grass on the ground all the way to cabin number three.

If there was a way to bring Annabeth back, Apollo would find it. Right?

* * *

The Poseidon cabin was empty and desolate. Having no one to share with got lonely but it had it's fair share of perks. He never had to listen to anybody else, he had plenty of room for his stuff and he could call lights out whenever he pleased. Usually, Percy barely noticed that he was alone because he was always hanging out with Annabeth. He never noticed it before but, they did almost _everything _together.

He could hang out with her without feeling awkward because she was a girl. He didn't fight with her (constantly) like he did with Thalia, he listened a whole lot better than Grover and she understood. She knew how he was feeling most of the time.

He remembered back to the three days after he had first crossed the property line. How it had been Annabeth who had nursed him back to health. At the time, though, he didn't know how close they would become after that first quest. It was funny how time seemed to change everything.

How would he be able to survive without her? He didn't want to think about that.

He collapsed on his bed and fell asleep.

Soon after, Chiron and Apollo arrived outside the door. The sound of hooves and Apollo's loud voice had woken Percy up, but he remained completely still as not to alert the two immortals that stood just outside his door.

"We must tell him." Chiron tried to push past the God of the Sun but he was stronger than the centaur had anticipated. "There is no other way."

"Yes there is. The gift only an Olympian can give."

His ears perked up and he listened in.

"With the coming war, we need her strength. Immortality may very well be her only option." Apollo persisted.

"Annabeth wouldn't want that. That I know for certain."

_Go, Chiron. _

"Yeah. That may be so but she sure as Hades wouldn't let Olympus be overthrown for the Titans to once again rule. It may be our only chance."

Chiron let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, turn her immortal. But I will not allow Percy to be ignorant to your plans. That I cannot condone."

"Should I begin the transformation?" Apollo asked curiously.

"No." Chiron decided. "But soon."

Percy was too shocked to move. Annbeth become _immortal_? That was almost worse than letting her die.

"Besides." He added as an after thought. "We must get permission from Athena in order to begin any sort of transformation."

"Oh, right." Apollo sighed dramatically. "The rules. I forgot."

Percy was liking the Sun God less and less with each passing moment. It was almost funny how one conversation could change your entire outlook on someone.

"I'll get Argus to take You, Percy and Annabeth to Mount Olympus tomorrow at dawn." Chiron ordered. Apollo nodded.

Percy was kind of surprised that Apollo hadn't said one poem since he had arrived. It would have been a record if he hadn't come up with yet another Haiku just seconds later.

_"Chiron needs great help_

_Apollo has heard his call_

_Apollo is so cool."_

Percy rolled over and wrapped his pillow around his ears to block out Apollo's incredibly bad poetry. Just at that moment, Chiron turned towards him and saw.

"Percy? My boy are you awake?"

Percy sat up in his bunk and pretended to look tired. "I am now."

"Oh, good." He smiled hesitantly. "I need a word with you. It's about Annabeth and I'm not sure that you are going to be too fond of Apollo's idea."

He wanted desperately to say something along the lines of, _"Oh yeah, turning Annabeth immortal? I heard it all from eavesdropping on that conversation you and Apollo had like five minutes ago. You're right. I'm not going to like it."_

But he knew he couldn't so instead he opted for a different approach. Lying. "What do you mean?" He yawned to try and convince Chiron that he had just woken up.

"Annabeth is alive, but only just. There's only one way to save her that we can think of right now."

"What is that, exactly?" Percy asked, playing along.

"To turn her immortal."

Though he thought he was over it, clearly he wasn't because the anger and pain came back and it returned with a vengance.

"Do I have any say in the matter?" He asked finally.

"No, Percy." Chiron declared. "You don't."

"Great."

"You, Apollo and Annabeth are going to Mount Olympus tomorrow. We need to get permission from Athena to begin the transformation."

"You mean that she's conscious?" Percy beseeched.

The centaur nodded. he didn't need to be told twice. He leaped up and out of his bed, sprinting towards the door as fast as his legs would carry him.

"But it's only temporary and will likely only last a little while. It is quite possible that she will become unconscious en route to New York City tomorrow."

He turned and stared at Chiron as if to say "good luck convincing Annabeth to go along with this."

Chiron's eyes showed that he had understood what Percy meant.

With that, he flew out the door and ran to the Big House, where Annabeth was sleeping.

He threw open the door and found her temporary room as soon as possible.

"Annabeth!" He exclaimed. Then, without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a salty embrace. Somewhat awkwardly, she wrapped her arms around him as well. When the hug broke, they were both red in the face.

"Uh."

"Yeah."

"Annabeth?" Percy said as calmly as he could.

"Uh-huh?" She answered meekly.

"I need to talk to you about something. It's really important that you know."

Her face broke into a smile. "Go on."

Percy's face stayed non-responsive, he took a deep breath. "Apollo and Chiron want to turn you immortal."

Annabeth looked confused.

"Wait. What?"

"Long story." He sighed. "I'll tell you on the ride to Mt. Olympus tomorrow."

Annabeth's jaw dropped.

"You're serious."

The look on Percy's face alone told that he was. Dead serious.

"I need to tell Chiron I'm not leaving." Annabeth cried, she pulled away from Percy and took off towards the centaur's quarters. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Percy wasn't chasing her.

But as she turned a corner, she ran head on into the last person she expected to be lurking the halls of the big house at night.

"Eden?" She asked.

Eden swallowed hard.

"What are you doing here?"

"N-nothing." She cried. "I uh forgot something." She stuck her hand in her pocket and came up with a small circular key chain. She stuffed it back into her pocket before Annabeth could clearly identify it.

"Was that..?"

"A key chain." She rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Was that a laurel?"

Slowly, Eden nodded.

"Your shoes, the laurel. It all makes sense."

"What?" But before Annabeth could answer her question, a brilliant green laurel appeared over the younger girl's head.

"Eden Crest, daughter of Nike, Goddess of Victory."

Percy, who suddenly appeared beside her stared at the magical hologram that was already beginning to fade.

"CHIRON!" He called. "_CHIRON!_"

Eden was too stunned to move. A daughter of Nike? She knew the goddess of victory from the myths, of course, but that didn't keep the image of her black and pink Nike Shox from popping into her head.

Annabeth mumbled something unintelligible and closed her eyes. Then, she began to run her finger along the edge of the wall.

"What are you doing?" Eden looked at Annabeth strangely.

"Athena always has a plan." Percy explained. Annabeth nodded.

"If we just..."

"Annabeth? What are you thinking?" Percy asked.

"I'm thinking," She smiled. "That I have a plan."

Eden backed away slowly. "Have fun with that."

But Annabeth pulled her back. "Uh-uh. You're a part of this plan, Eden. A significant part."

Percy shook his head. "Welcome to the club."

Eden groaned. "I don't think I want to be a part of the club."

"Too late." Annabeth chided. "Come on. Let's go."

Eden groaned a second time. Percy gave her a look of sympathy.

"At least she'll be passed out for the ride tomorrow."

Percy shot Eden a look that was sharper than Annabeth's dagger. It didn't seem to faze Annabeth, though.

"We're not going on that ride to New York City tomorrow. I have other plans. Now we've got to get going if we're going to be done by dawn."

"Have I ever told you that you're a genius?"

"Once when you thought I was passed out. But that's about it."

Percy reddened. "You heard that?"

Annabeth nodded. "It was sweet."

"Well, you're a genius." He whispered.

"I think I'm going to hurl." Eden announced.

"Just try to hold it in until tomorrow." Annabeth smiled. "Or the plan will be ruined."

"I want to hear this plan." Eden frowned.

Annabeth grabbed both of their arms and pulled them in the direction of the Oracle.

"The plan starts here."


	5. Wings of Fate

Affections

**Chapter Five: The Wings of Fate  
**

"An old room?" Eden raised her eyebrows skeptically.

Annabeth was getting annoyed with Eden's tactics and it showed. She narrowed her startlingly gray eyes and aimed them directly at Eden. "Here are the cold, hard facts. Whatever is happening is happening for a reason. The last time something unorthodox happened at camp, Luke became the poster boy for evil." She winced but continued. "The Titan lord Kronos tried to overthrow Olympus and if that happened, the only safe haven for kids like us would be gone and shortly after, all demigods in existence would be eradicated."

"Eradicated?"

"It means destroyed, obliterated, wiped out. Get the picture?" Eden swallowed hard and nodded. Not so much because she was worried about what would come if she didn't, but because she didn't want to get on Annabeth's bad side. She didn't seem like the kind of person who forgot things easily. Nor the kind who gave up, both of which were enough to scare Eden into submission.

"Let's go." Percy clasped a hand around the door and nudged it open. Letting out only a squeak in protest, it opened wide enough for the three of them to step inside.

As soon as the door flew open, the three demigods were met with a musty stench; mildew and rotting wood. Percy and Annabeth were used to the scent of the Oracle, Eden however, was not.

"What in the name of Hades is that smell?" Her hand flew to her face and she pinched her nose, trying to get it out of her sinuses. Annabeth had to smile, the girl caught on to the whole "Gods are real" bit pretty quickly. Chiron hadn't even had to show her the orientation video.

"The Oracle." Percy whispered, a shiver running down his spine. Annabeth, who stood in front of the other two was the first to enter.

"Guys!" She stage whispered, beckoning the other over. "Come on!"

"I'm not going in there." Eden crossed her arms across her chest, rebelliously. Percy rolled his eyes and ran to catch up with Annabeth leaving the daughter of Nike to fend for herself.

"Suit yourself!"

Percy saw Annabeth standing beside the old mummy that was the Oracle of Delphi. Still wearing the rainbow tie-dye dress, plastic beads and black headband I recognized from our first visit, the Oracle sat in a corner next to the Hydra head plaque labeled "Hydra Head #1, Woodstock, NY 1969."

The leathery skin that covered the mummy's skull was beginning to peel and he had to look away, visiting the Oracle wasn't Percy's favourite way to spend his nights. Annabeth punched him in the shoulder, reminding him that if he couldn't stand up to the Oracle who _didn't _want to kill him, how was he supposed to defeat Kronos? She had a point, so Percy turned back to the mummy, it's white marble eyes gleaming against the thin skin of her face.

Eden, who at this time was starting to get turned off the whole "Be defiant and they'll let you stay behind" plan, peeked her head around the wooden door frame, curiously. What mystery lurked beyond? Unless she put on her big demigod pants, she wouldn't figure out the answer. So, she took in a deep breath, cleared her mind and walked with one foot in front of the other into the darkness.

Using a spare moment as a time of silent, congratulatory self-praise, she didn't notice the bits of chopped up monster and pickled..._body parts _in jars that lined the table in front of her.

"AAAHHHH!" Her scream bounced off the walls of the attic and she could feel her pulse inside of her head. She ran so fast, her feet never touched the ground. She would have found this incredibly cool and kind of freaky if her mind hadn't been elsewhere. She didn't stop running until she collided with a fragile body. Then she just screamed more.

Both Percy and Annabeth slapped their hands over her mouth, cutting out her boisterous and extremely cover-blowing screams.

"Eden!" Percy hissed. "Be quiet."

"What was-"

"The Oracle of Delphi." Annabeth silenced her quickly.

"The Oracle of what?" The older girl's patience was thinning.

"Delphi." Annabeth clarified.

"You mean, like from the myths?"

She nodded.

"Well." She exhaled, "This day just keeps getting better and better."

"You get used to it." Annabeth gave a small half smile before returning her attention to the shriveled up mummy.

Eden mumbled something that sounded like "I doubt it." but the older girl ignored her.

"What do I need to do to save Annabeth?" Percy asked. Green smoke billowed from the mouth of the mummy and it came to life in the strange and unusual way that she did just before uttering a prophecy.

The Oracle opened her mouth, but the voice did not reach their ears. Instead, it slithered into their minds and coiled around their brains, making sure that they heard every word.

_The goddess of ascendancy will lead the way_

_Leaving fate to choose to leave or stay_

_In the palace of the Gods, body and mind will untie as one_

_To fix what is broken and see obstacles won_

_For one to live on, another life she must end_

_To realize true love in none but a friend_

Then the tail of the green mist entered the mouth of the Oracle and all was still.

"Well that was weird." Eden announced, breaking the eery silence.

"What did it mean? _For one to live on, another life must end_. You can't kill someone, Annabeth. You won't, right?"

"So long as it's not me, I'm good."

"Keep it up and you'll be on the top of my hit list." Annabeth mumbled so only Percy could hear. Percy smiled, good old Annabeth.

"Shut it, Blondie." Eden hissed.

"Why don't you, sneaker-freak?"

"Whoa, guys!" Percy intervened before the two girls could rip each other a new one. "We've got to get going. Annabeth doesn't have much time left."

Annabeth rubbed her temples in a way that only occurred when she was stressing out about something important. "You're right, Percy. Eden we need your help piecing together the prophecy. We just have to look at things logically." She pulled her long blond curls back into a ponytail and pulled it tight. She meant business.

"The home of the Gods. That can only mean one thing." She looked from Percy to Eden. "Mount Olympus."

"So we'll have to hitch that ride after all."

"Maybe not." Eden stood and paced in a small circle. She reached into her pocket and retrieved her laurel key chain. "There's an engraving on the back. It's written in Greek and I always understood it to mean something like flight being the best way to travel. Maybe it carries some of my mom's magic?" She suggested.

Percy nodded. "It's worth a shot."

"What should I do?" Eden looked stumped.

"Read the engraving?" Annabeth suggested.

"Πτήση, τα απαραίτητα μέσα του ταξιδιού." Her ancient Greek was flawless, her accent clear.

But, they almost didn't notice it. They were too preoccupied with the majestic white wings that had appeared between her shoulder blades.

"Oh."

"My."

"Gods." Annabeth finished.

"Nike, the winged goddess. Your mother's gift! It has to be." Percy realized.

"I guess that solves the first line. _The goddess of ascendancy will lead the way._" Annabeth blew a stray curl off her face and turned towards the other two.

Eden flapped her newly found wings producing a gust of wind so large, it blew a few jars off the table, shattering them. "Oops." She giggled. Maybe this whole daughter of Nike thing was going to be alright.

* * *

After leaving the Big House, Eden had begged for a few minutes to take the wings for a test drive, leaving Percy and Annabeth alone. Under usual circumstances, a conversation would have long since become a debate, but there was no debate. There was barely even a conversation unless random and equally awkward phrases like "So?" and "Well," counted. Dawn was nearing and the sun was beginning to rise.

Though Apollo probably couldn't see them, they waved anyway. You just never knew with Gods.

"So, what did Apollo say exactly when you, you know..."

"Regained consciousness?" She finished. He nodded. "Well, he didn't talk much, other than to tell me what happened. That the injury on my hand couldn't possibly be connected to my...other issues." She flushed. Being smart, she didn't seem to face weakness much, so on the rare occasions she did, it was always embarrassing, awkward and so not Annabeth.

"They might be." He whispered. "About the prophecy-." Annabeth's stomach tightened, doing miniature somersaults.

"Uh huh."

"There are two lines that I don't really get."

"Which ones?" She hoped that Percy didn't catch on. If he did, she was toast.

"Well, the last two. If I interpreted it right, which I probably didn't, it means that in order for you to survive, you have to kill someone."

"You know that prophecies can be interpreted many ways, right?" She reminded him, already feeling the blood flush to her cheeks. "It might not mean what you, you know, think it does."

"I know, you tell me that every single time. But what else are you going to get from_ 'For one to live on, another life she must end'_?" Annabeth didn't say anything. He had a point.

"I'm not going to kill anyone, Percy." Her gray eyes were serious and he wanted so desperately to believe her, but the Fates always had a way of messing with everything, including people. If the prophecy said that Annabeth was going to kill someone, she was going to kill someone. Be it one way or another, even by accident. Either way, someone was going to die.

"I believe you." He said, but uncertainty loomed like a shadow, casting his judgment into darkness. But she could tell.

"Oh and the last line." He remembered_. _"_To realize true love in none but a friend_."

Annabeth blushed four different shades of red, beginning to sweat. She pulled her arms out of her sweater sleeves and ditched it at her feet. She was boiling. Percy shivered, how could he find it cold? She had a strong feeling she knew what the last line meant. It didn't take the goddess Athena to figure it out. At least Percy didn't put one and one together like she had. Knowing him, the thought probably hadn't even crossed his mind.

She felt herself beginning to sweat from what she thought was nerves. A bead of sweat formed on her brow and trickled down her face.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Something wasn't right.

"Yeah. Just a little bit warm."

"But it's like -3 degrees out."

"I'm just warm." He pressed a hand to her forehead. She was indeed warm. Very warm.

Moments later, Eden, fresh from her test-flight, walked over to find Annabeth in only her camp shirt and shorts. She herself was chilly and she had on a thick woolen sweater that had been a Christmas gift from her grandmother when she was eleven.

"Did I miss something?" She asked.

Percy shook his head and picked up her abandoned sweat shirt, tossing it over his shoulder. "You stay with her. I have to go rally the pegasi together."

"What's going on?" Eden's wings slumped, but she did as she was told. A first.

"She's getting weaker." He shuddered. "She doesn't have much longer. We have to get her to Mount Olympus now."

"Got it." She replied.

Percy left to get the pegasi and Eden sat down next to Annabeth on the ground outside the Big House.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Annabeth's brow crinkled in confusion. "What are you sorry for?"

"For being, like rude and stuff. I get impatient when I don't understand something. I also get...sarcastic, as you probably already know."

"Really?" Annabeth said sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

She had to laugh.

"It's alright. The fatal flaw of holding grudges is for the Hades children to bear and the Hades children alone."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Oh, and according to ancient legend, Nike is supposedly closely identified with Athena." She smiled weakly. "I guess we're more alike than we thought."

"Guess so."

The whiny of the pegasi could be heard in the distance, capturing the attention of both of them. In moments they would be airborne.

"You okay, Annabeth?" Percy asked as she mounted Blackjack, trembling. Her entire face was streaked with sweat."Do you need help?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. If Percy hadn't already figured out that she was independent, he probably never would.

"All good?" Eden turned to face the horse-like creature. Percy hollered back the response.

"Yep!" He whispered something softly and with a burst of energy, the pegasus swooped into the sky gracefully.

With Eden as the navigator, flying in front of Percy and Annabeth who both rode Blackjack, they took off into the clouds. Eden whooped with in delight. It must have been contagious because Percy whooped a second later. Annabeth laughed weakly, trying to fight off the sudden and intense urge to sleep.

Suddenly, something came to mind. "EDEN!" Percy called to the girl flying ahead of them. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE YOU'RE GOING?"

"NOT A CLUE!" She yelled back.

"Empire State-" Annabeth said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked exhausted. "State building. Six-" She paused to yawn." Six hundredth floor."

Percy called out the directions to Eden but Annabeth scarcely heard him. Their voices sounded so far away. All she could hear was the loud _thump thump_ of her heartbeat pulsating inside her head.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she heard a voice. First in Greek, then repeated in English.

"Καλώς ήρθατε. Είναι καιρός για σας να μάθουν την αλήθεια. Welcome. It is time for you to learn the truth."

She tipped her head back, letting it fall onto Percy's shoulder, closing her eyes and welcoming the darkness, wondering if and when she would wake up.

* * *

**A/N: ****Hey, guys! Sorry for the huge gap in time! I've been on a bit of a homework induced hiatus so I haven't been able to add much to either Affections or Battlefield but I will definitely be updating more often now! Thanks for all of the great reviews, you guys are amazing! Tell me your thoughts on this chapter in either a personal message or review!**

**R&R Please!**

**Happy Writing,**

**EMILY**


	6. Alone in The Dreamlands

Affections

**Chapter Six: Alone in a Dreamland  
**

I felt my eyes open again but instead of the image of Percy's warm face, I was greeted with nothing. I was alone. Surrounded by nothing. No light, no dark. There was nothing but emptiness. I was quite surprised that I hadn't fallen or gone anywhere, I just stayed. Waiting.

I wasn't entirely sure what I was waiting for, though. I don't think anyone was sure. I looked around, as far as the naked eye could see. But that's just it, there was nothing _to _see.

We children of Athena are usually pretty crafty, always able to come up with an escape plan that will never fail. It appeared as though Athena had met her match. I'd have to break it to her gently.

I took a tentative step forward, half-expecting to wake up from this hideous nightmare. But when my foot met the material beneath me, it didn't sink or float. It just stayed, the same as it would on a surface like grass.

"Hello?" I could hear my voice getting swallowed up by the vast gap in solidity. Nothing about this place made any logical sense. That was just it, and I didn't like it. Nothing felt..._right_? I ran a hand through my thick head of blond curls, thinking pensively.

It couldn't be. I sneaked a second glance at my hand. The bandage that kept my cut out of harm's way no longer had the large, wet cherry red bloodstain smeared across its center. It was dry and blood-free. Curiously, I tugged the bandage away, letting it fall to the ground and disappear into the abyss. The cut on my hand that had once resembled the Greek symbol for death had vanished. It was completely gone. I flipped my hand around, trying to find some little piece that would betray the secrets. But there wasn't one. My cut was gone.

I looked down at myself, curious to see if any other imperfections had made themselves disappear. I still wore my Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and knee length denim shorts. My dagger, now sheathed in its little leather satchel was fastened tightly to my upper arm. The only thing about my outfit that was different was the belt that held up my pants. It was embroidered with thirteen symbols. My best guess was that a few of them were supposed to symbolize the twelve Olympians. But then there was that thirteenth one. I had no idea!

"Is anyone there?" I called. "Hello?"

Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked me off balance and I landed on the ground only to discover that it had decided to de-solidify. I felt like I was falling through clouds, my hair thrashed violently behind me.

"AH!" I cried in pain upon landing face first on something solid. I picked myself up, unsheathed my dagger and prepared for battle. I spun my knife confidently and threw a few jabs at the empty space before me. "Is anyone there?"

The wind whistled again and by now, I had caught on. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" A prickly sensation began to make its way up my arm, making all of the hairs on my body stand up. I guess I got the answer to my question.

"Hello?" Suddenly, the space around me was thrown into darkness. I blinked, willing my eyes to adjust faster. I shivered and in a tuft of smoke, a woman appeared tending the hot coals of a small fire.

"Lady Hestia?" I asked. She looked up and gave me a knowing smile.

"Yes, child. You must have many questions. Come warm up by the flame."

I sat by the edge of the pit and put my hands out over the edge of the fire, the crackling sound that it gave off calmed me, oddly enough. I had come up with my first question. "Where am I?"

"The Dreamlands." She stated.

"The Dreamlands?" I furrowed my brow in confusion. It sounded familiar. It sounded really familiar. Why in the Hades couldn't I remember them?

"Yes." She replied, her voice like melted butter. This was pretty surprising because in order to deal with a child of Athena who doesn't understand something, you have to possess one or both of the following qualities. 1. Great patience and 2. The ability to work miracles. "The only place where your subconscious is permitted to roam free. Usually, when you visit the Dreamlands, there is more colour and life. It is, after all, your own creation. Also, most visits are short-lived and brief. Alas, yours is not."

"What do you mean?" I asked politely.

She sighed before taking on the form I recognized the most. A thin scarlet mist encased her body and her short, cinnamon hair grew long and curly, reminding me of the cinnamon swirl rolls I ate when I was little with Luke and Thalia. Her face lost ten years, though her eyes, which held an unmistakably youthful demeanor, didn't change. She shrank slightly until our noses were on par with each other. The goddess Hestia now resembled a young girl, maybe fifteen.

"I mean, child, that you are caught up in your emotions, they leave you paralyzed; unable to accomplish tasks that, previously, were simple as child's play." I understood her perfectly, the only part about her explanation that bothered me was when she had called me 'child'. Though she was many a millenia older than I, she looked more child-like than I did.

"So, my knife wound had nothing to do with-" I paused, motioning to the emptiness around me with my arm, trying to find the right word to describe my situation. "this?"

She shook her head but hesitated. "Apollo would be more qualified to inform you of your curative progress." I nodded. Lady Hestia's words would have soared over most peoples' heads, but not mine. I have to admit that the headaches most get would be too much for me.

"But how can I talk to him?" I asked.

She looked at me curiously, like she was surprised I didn't know. "The same way that you are talking to me." She said. "You summoned me here. I am a product of your sub-conscience."

That made sense. But it that was the case...

"But then how come I don't know what you are going to say before you say it?" I felt like a child asking a question like that, but I couldn't help it.

"Some questions just weren't meant to be answered, child. You have to discover them."

"So, why am I here, anyway?" I asked, twirling a piece of blond hair around my fingers anticipating her response.

"Only you know the answer to that." With a wink, she vanished, leaving me more confused than before. Then I remember that summoning theory that she mentioned.

"Maybe if I just..."

I squeezed my eyes shut and though of what I wanted. A millisecond later, a pen and a pad of paper appeared in my hand.

I had one thing to say about all of this. "Cool."

I needed to make a list. A list of everything that had happened. Everything that was _logical._ I wasn't even sure if logic could be applied to my predicament. Could it?

As a daughter of Athena, I relied on logic. Lived and breathed logic. I needed it. Like oxygen. Without it, I was weak. I needed it like I needed Percy.

I closed my eyes, longing to feel the warmth of his arms locked around me in a calming embrace. Longing for the smell of salt water and the mischievous glint in his eyes. Even if I usually ended up soaping wet after wards on most occasions, I missed him.

I picked up the pen and pressed it against the paper, forming the letters of the first item on my list. _Knife wound. _

I'd always seen him as more, but logic dictates. We couldn't be together. It just wasn't possible. So I shoved my feelings out of the way where no one, not even Silena or Aphrodite, would ever know. I had everyone fooled, even Percy himself. But not me. No one could ever pull one over on me. Not even I.

Two. _Rhythm._

The daughter of Apollo, the one who treated my knife wound. The one who said that something about it was off. Strange. Logic dictates, and I ignored it.

I turned on my heel, pacing in frustration, alone.

Three. _The Quote._

No medicine was going to remove me from the Dreamlands. I had to do it myself.

I balled my hand into a fist, wondering when and how I was going to get out of here. I bit the end of the pen with my teeth, chomping on it as I thought.

Four. _Eden._

A daughter of Nike. There had never been one before, she was the first. The only. I knew something about her was different, she was ruled by logic as well. Nike's desire for victory, Athena's desire to strategically succeed, to have logic win. Another logical slap in the face that I was ignorant to.

I felt so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Five. _Percy._

Then, in case I forgot why I put his name on my little list, I wrote a little explanation.

_Percy: Always there for me and will never give up. I think he's what can save me. I might even love him? Is that normal? _

I lifted the pen off the page to examine what I wrote. I scoffed at myself.

"This isn't your personal diary, Annabeth." I was about to scratch it out when I got an idea. I folded the paper and slipped it into the sheath of my dagger.

Wait.

"How...?" I shook my head. Suddenly, my entire body started to tingle. My brain began to tick like a clock and I formed my hands into tight fists. I had an idea. "Never mind that, Annabeth. You have something more important to do."

I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on one picture in my mind. One memory that stood out among the rest. The day that Percy arrived at Camp.

I knew he was different. Not in a "he's _different_" way, in a "he's the one from the prophecy " way.

Then, I saw a light flash before me and I figure step away from it. A familiar looking figure with short black hair, sea green irises and that quirky expression that was unmistakable.

It was Percy and he was several inches shorter than me. Several.

I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. When I realized that he wasn't hugging me back, I let go.

"Uh...who are you?" He asked, backing away slowly. He looked around at...well, nothing. That was all there was to see. "Where are we?"

"It's me, Annabeth, Seaweed Brain." I punched his shoulder.

He studied my face. "You can't be Annabeth." He stated. "You're beautiful. The Annabeth I know is just plain pretty. Besides, you look at least sixteen. She's only twelve."

"I'm Annabeth," I smiled, Seaweed Brain thought I was pretty, even back then when all that we did was get on each others nerves. "I promise."

"Prove it."

"Fine." I'd forgotten just how...annoying Percy was when he was younger. How I manage to tolerate him will forever remain a mystery to me.

I reached for my dagger, knocking out the piece of folded paper. His eyes grew wide and his arms flew up in defeat. "Okay, okay. It's you."

His eyes lingered on the only other object nearby. The fallen paper.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Nothing." I shrugged. He picked it up and unfolded it. Then it hit me. The writing.

"NO!" I lunged. He couldn't read that. It was Percy. But what was worse was that he was the younger Percy. But he pulled away and I could tug it from his fingers. He was reading it. I can honestly say that I would rather have been stuck in in the Dreamlands for eternity than have twelve year old Percy Jackson read what I had written about him.

His face was in a smug smile as his eyes grazed the first half of the page. Slowly, his face began to twist into confusion as he read the bottom half.

"You love me?" His eyebrows shot up in alarm. "That's just weird."

"No. I can explain." He looked at me, even at twelve he knew that I was bluffing. "Okay, maybe I can't. But you're just a pigment of my imagination. Your not real. Watch."

I closed my eyes and focused on the same memory that had gotten him here, picturing him gone. Away. Back to the infirmary. But, when I opened my eyes again, he was still there. And there was someone else there, too. Twelve year old Annabeth had tagged along. Great, I thought. This is going to be fun.

"Percy." I called. He turned towards me.

"Nice trick." He rolled his eyes.

"You shall tell no one."

"Right." He rolled his eyes once again and Mini-me punched him in the shoulder. Just like old times.

"Listen to me." She growled. He obeyed.

He crossed his arms across his chest and sighed. "Fine."

"Where are we?" He asked. "You didn't tell me where we were before."

"The Dreamlands." Mini-me clarified. "The fantasy world where all of your subconscious and conscious thoughts are allowed to roam free. Most people only visit for short periods of time but on occasion, people with unresolved issues get put here to figure them out."

Right. I had forgotten. Of course mini-me would remember.

I know for a fact that she would have continued if Percy hadn't have slapped a hand across her mouth. "I didn't ask for the Encyclopedia definition, Wise Girl."

"Too bad." She replied sarcastically.

"Zip it! Both of you! You're driving me nuts."

"Annabeth, talk. Percy, shut up."

"What all do you know about the Dreamlands." I asked.

"Well, not much save the fact that you can only be released if you a) save yourself, b) have a friend or love from the outside world resuscitate you or c) solve the problem you came to solve."

"That makes perfect sense. If I solve the problem, I'm free. But first, I need to..."

"...figure out what the problem is." The younger version finished.

I nodded. "Exactly."

I closed my eyes and saw a stack of drafting paper and a box of HB 2 pencils. Then, they appeared in front of me.

"Let's get to work."

Then, my mind wandered to someone else. Someone that every girl needs once and a while.

Then she appeared. Standing before me was none other than Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy.

You could always count on parents to be there for you when you needed them the most. My mother was no exception.

"Mom." I smiled.

"Hello, my daughter." She replied. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Her eyes moved across my face and then she noticed something strange about the way my belt was sitting on me.

"When did you get that?" She asked, a small hint of uncertainty rising in her strong and powerful voice. She may not have been all brute strength like Ares, but she could take him.

"When I arrived here." I shrugged, picking at the threads of a blue pattern. "There are thirteen signs on it, I believe that twelve of them are supposed to be for the Olympians. But I have yet to figure out what the final one means." I very nearly spoke my mind, telling her all about my suspecting that it had something to do with Percy. After all, she wasn't what most would call his biggest fan.

A weary look crept into the corner of her striking gray eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

"I have to leave. The other two as well. You must fight this battle alone, Annabeth. I am sorry."

"What?"

"We must go now. Hurry, Annabeth," Athena ushered my younger self towards her, who pulled Percy along. "_Percy_." I wished that she would be able to get over the rivalry that had occurred many millenia ago. After all, can bygones not be bygones?

Then, they disappeared. And just like that, my connection with the outside world was gone.

And I was alone. Again.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long hiatus. I had oodles and oodles of homework and _no _time to write anything! It was pretty suck-ish. Hope you like the new chapter. Stay tuned for more!**

**Happy Writing,**

**Emily  
**


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